Revision TKR Mamie's Recovery Thread

I did not allow it. The events I shared are how it happened. The PT appeared to be kind, concerned and said she was taking it easy and not stay long due to such an extreme blood pressure. My husband and I decided before she came today that we should just agree with her and do what feels right when she’s gone. When she’s here, I told her flat that I would rather be crippled with no pain than crippled with tortorrous PT pain and no shoving my knee. She agreed. Then while massaging my knee (she called it soft tissue massage) out of nowhere without warning she applied hard pressure. I told her no to stop, but once again later, she did it again and when I stopped her she then spoke about going to a facility for PT where they can manipulate the knee before it locks up. I told her no one will do that. I have only one place I trust and thst was two years ago and I would need to be sure they are the same.
You are so very kind. Believe me zintrudt everyone here and now that I saw how she snuck those rough moves on me, it won’t happen again. I was totally surprised. She had not been that way before. I wish I knew why the PT people feel they must inflict pain. Just two or three times sunk in and I’m up now at 4:00 still awake from pain testing aches my entire leg. Whatever happens in a few hours with the PA and or my surgeon I will not allow them to do harm. I did not count the staples so hopefully they were kidding around (which is not funny) about 200. It sure looked like that many when changing my bandage. They are small and looked like a running staple stitch very close together. I’ll let you know later. Goodnight sll!
 
We were also told that my husband should push my knee back, my PT told us my surgeon would want 95 degrees at my 2 week check up, which was in 3 days.

So, we spent the weekend doing that. It was awful. My husband didn’t like hurting me, but we believed the PT and did it.

At 4 weeks I found Bonesmart and learned that not only I didn’t have to let them push my knee every appointment, but that it was bad for my knee to do that. I was a bit outraged to learn that they were hurting me, only because of an opinion. I did dial things back at PT and I cancelled some appointments.

If I ever do this again, I will not go to PT and no PT will ever sneak in a push again, or even touch my leg. That sneakiness happened to me twice. The first time, like with you, he was just gently moving my knee back and forth, and then the last time he just slowly kept pushing until it was excruciating. I hung on to the sides of the table I was laying on really tightly. 2 hours later, at home, I had a new excruciating pain, but in my shoulder. The pain was a 10 and the Dilaudid I was on didn’t touch it. A couple of days later I had an X-ray of my shoulder and was told I had Acute tendinitis there. All from that PT experience.

The second time he sneaked a push was when I was sitting on the PT table, which had been lowered so my feet could touch the floor. Then he lowered the table even more which forced my knee to bend very painfully.

I have a very sensitive personality and I literally have PTSD from my knee replacement experience.

Don’t let these people do that to you.

Call your regular doctor to help get your blood pressure under control. Maybe ask for a nurse to come check your blood pressure. Cancel the PT appointments, they are upsetting you which is also negatively affecting your blood pressure. You can do movements at home that will keep your knee mobile. Your knee and your emotions will be better off without the kind of PT you are getting.

I’m so sorry you are in the midst of such an aggressive medical team. Honestly, they are not all like that.:console2:
 
@Mamie, therapists will sometimes pull that sneaky stuff, so now you know yours is that type and you can be more clear in your instructions about what she can and cannot do. The massage is actually good for your knee and the swelling, but the therapist must agree only to do that and no pushing or it's worthless for you.

I am beyond concerned about your high blood pressure. It is dangerous to you and it is possible for you to suffer a stroke. Is there some reason you have not contacted your GP about this? You are really putting yourself at risk for bigger problems than your knee.
 
@Mamie ... I’ve been following your recovery thread, and I’m so sorry about the challenges. Can you reassure us that you’ve talked with your internist or GP about the blood pressure issues? I hope they can soon find the right treatment to bring that under control. Take care!
 
I think your priority right now is to talk to your doctor about your blood pressure. Nothing bad will happen with the knee in the next few days.
 
Hello everyone. I thought that I had mentioned but if I have not I deeply and sincerely apologize but I have been in contact with the doctors office several times trying to control my BP. I’m sure that I talked about it. It came down but back up. We keep a chart and each time the issue had surrounded my pain and PT visits. My doctor is a nephrologist following my kidneys because I am in kidney failure.

Because of the Covid when we moved here I couldn’t get hooked back up with a cardiologist because their offices were closed and now they’re playing catch-up and he’s doing the best by me that he can. He has recently added a drug called Losartan which protects my kidneys that the hospital had taken me off of because my blood pressure dropped too low. . We just took my blood pressure now at the doctors office after the effects of the Losartan had time to work. It has been decided that although I do have heart disease and they are concerned about it they feel very positive that this out-of-control pain is driving my blood pressure’s to unstable grounds.

They’re a little worried about giving me too much medication that may crash my blood pressure but worried about not doing something. That’s why we’ve been trying different levels of this medication but we just hadn’t found a dose that worked until this morning. We did not know the results until just now. They’re worried that the lower number of 50 Will become too low. We’re hoping to see now a downward trend because I started having headaches the last two days.

GOOD NEWS
Today as you know my stitches were removed and some nurse was joking about my leg all this time joking around but I don’t think I found it too funny. When she told me I had 200 stitches and although it looked like a massive amount to me I didn’t count them. Today they remove 63 stitches much nicer number and it wasn’t awful.
The better news is that the PA that has been giving me such a hard time looked at me and she said I can see that you’ve been trying but this is a recovery phase. I want you to tell your PT and I will too they need to back of, using only gentle and easy Physical Therapy, no pushing. She gave me a script for pain management and told me she had a gentleman that came in to see her this morning who is two months into postop and he can’t bend his knee as far as I can.

Well, right behind her came what I had thought was a really nice surgeon that I had always like but puzzled by his change of attitude. He walked in and asked me if I can move my knee to 90° and I told him no. He was upset beyond words. He tried himself and I said stop.

We’re right behind hurricane this really nice surgeon that I had always liked but puzzled by his change of attitude. He walked in and asked me if I can move my knee to 90° and I told him no. He was upset beyond words. He told me that when I come back in two weeks he wants to see 90°.

When he left the room the PA spoke up to me and said you do the best that you can but I certainly don’t see you getting to 90° in two weeks. She said I just assumed you’re not even trying. I want you to try no pushing. This was a PA that had been telling me all along she wanted this she wanted that and now I ask her what happened why have you decided to be nice?
I said I really appreciate it but I don’t understand it he’s turned into a barking tiger and she mellowed out. She said everything she had said to me before was before she had actually seen the mess in my leg and it was the worst she had ever seen.
The replacement shaft they drove way down the calf and way up the thigh so my legs swelling will not heal overnight or in two weeks. She became my ally for now.

This is the craziest office I’ve ever met in my entire life. I told her again about my blood pressure and told her that I had left a message in their office several times but no one ever called me back. She assured me she did not know about it and that’s why nobody had done anything.

At any rate that’s my good news for today and I’m glad that my leg is doing what it supposed to do at this stage of the game. Thank you everyone for your support and kindness. Hopefully my time in healing has turned a corner with understanding from my care team there. I’m really tired and almost back home soon but grateful for my day and all of you.
I am going to read back over my messages to find where I had spoken about the meds we tried for the blood pressure before to be sure I am not losing my mind too! Lol
 
Mamie, thank you so much for your positive and reassuring message. I'm relieved to know you're working with your doctors on the blood pressure medication. It's especially important (as I'm sure you know) because you already have kidney damage.

I'm pleased you're finally seeing the benefits of advocating for yourself in this recovery. That surgeon can huff and puff all he wants to, but you have the right to recover in the way you feel works best for you. He'll just have to get over it. Congratulations for making him stop trying to push your knee beyond the discomfort point. You are doing the right thing.

Hopefully getting some better pain relief will help with your blood pressure. Be sure to take your pain medications on a set schedule through the day and night. Until things calm down, you may need to take the maximum dosage that is prescribed. It always takes longer to get pain properly managed when it's out of control than it does just to maintain things. Have a restful night and let us know how you are tomorrow.
 
Sorry for this auto correct. You can see why I hire a professional editor when I’m writing!

hurricane was her came. I was dictating! Lol

Goodnight All!

Mamie
 
He told me that when I come back in two weeks he wants to see 90°.
You can choose not go back then or if you do go back in 2 weeks you can tell that doctor that you are happy with your bend and that's what counts! If he wants to see 90 then tell him to bend his own knee. :heehee:
hurricane was her came.
We needed a good laugh. I'm just starting to use a dictation program because of arthritis in my primary hand. You should see some of the crazy stuff it comes up with!

Thank God you and your doctor and working towards controlling your BP. Having better pain control and easier PT will be a big help in bringing those numbers down.
 
I'm so glad to hear you are working with your doctors on the blood pressure and pain management. I typically have "ideal" blood pressure (not bragging :heehee: ) but it sure went up when I was in the hospital with knee #1 and they had some difficulty getting my pain levels managed.
Be a "squeaky wheel" when you need to. It sounds like they're needing to carefully "dial" your various meds.

Forgive me if I missed this, but do you have a home health nurse who comes regularly?

I actually had one come for a visit when I first came home with knee #1--more for reassurance because I was on my own (and it was my first surgery)-- but she looked at my incision (it was fine), took my blood pressure (good) and brought me educational material about nutrition when healing and so forth--something they did for all post surgery people, I think. I didn't have any issues but was glad I did it. I think my insurance would have covered more visits if I had needed them.

Interesting role reversal with the PA and OS. Glad the PA has become your ally. :thumb:
 
Hi Mamie, I’m so sorry-for what you are going Through. This recovery is hard enough, let alone all the obstacles they are putting you through. I pray that things start to turn around for you from this point forward. Please don’t be afraid to speak up for your self. I am doing things so differently this time, it’s our knee’s and we have to live with the consequences. Prayers for your pressure and Pain to get better.
 
Hi Jamie,

The last thing he said to me in the last two visits was “DO NOT SCHEDULE PAIN MEDS OR YOU WILL NEVER BE BETTER WITHOUT THEM.” I told him that I know for a matter of fact, that the only ones who get hooked on pain medications are those that use it without provocation. If your body needs it, then it uses it. I’ve been taught that my whole life. He just gets angry and then wants to withhold It, so now I don’t say anything except when he’s hurting me and I won’t allow it. I have to go back in two weeks and he’s demanding the 90°. If I get there it’ll be a miracle because she told me (the PA) that it may take up to two or three months maybe longer before this swelling in my knee will go down. I hope she stays in my corner as I said, this is a strange office who bounces back-and-forth in their convictions I’ll check in later after PT in two hours. Best to everyone in my position. I’m very good at advocating for others but for myself I fail miserably. Thank you to this entire group for helping me find the strength I need to fight for myself for a change! My husband does but it has to be me advocating as well. I was told and brought up my entire life to believe I didn’t deserve to be advocated for and it’s a hard trait to break.

Mamie
 
Hello revision lefty,

I’ve been concerned about you and been keeping you in my prayers. I hope that your recovery is going easier than your last time around. As they say leopards don’t change their stripes and I seem to of found the same type of a leopard, but I hope you did not!! In two weeks when I go back it may be my last visit if we come to serious head-butting but then I don’t know what I’ll do because I’ll have no one to follow my leg.

Your a real champ and I admire the courage you and so many others have shown. I’m shocked to read so many awful nightmare stories about therapist. I‘ve know that torture myself but I i’ve always thought it was just me and something I had done wrong that made them so angry to hurt me. No more. Stay strong and please keep us updated if you feel up to it. I find talking to the group the last thing I do at night relaxing.
Never give up and stay hanging in there!

Your Friend,
Mamie
 
Hello Kneeper!

yes, I do have home health but no one keeps up to me but PT. They have done everything you said so it’s ok. My husband never leaves me with anyone. God help anyone who hurts me beyond any reason. My service dog hates them when I cry. But no more. They make her stay out.
Best always. Thank you for caring. I’m here for you too

Mamie
 
My service dog hates them when I cry. But no more. They make her stay out.
Just remember that it is your house and your service dog. "They" cannot dictate what happens with your dog, but you do have to protect them from harm..

If they feel threatened or afraid of your dog, have your husband holding and controlling him/her. Explain that your dog hates it if they make you cry - after all, your dog's job is to protect you - so it is up to them not to do anything that upsets you.
 
You shouldn't have to get to the point of tears. That's too far. Don't be afraid to stop whatever the therapist is doing long before it hurts that much. I can feel the increased strength and determination in your post, Mamie. I'm so proud of you. No matter how small the steps forward you take each day, it's all good. We're going to be measuring this recovery of yours in terms of weeks and months, but in the end you're going to get there!!
 
Hello again! I am happy to report my pain after PT today did NOT increase from where it already was. We talked about my surgeons threats of surgically manipulating my knee and that I will not allow it. She explained what I already knew about scar tissue building fast and why they sometimes do it but my knee had not had a chance. She gently worked with me. She supported my leg as it hung off the bed and massaged it and then asked me to move it as in a marching step and gently asked if I could bend the knee either forward or back. It hurt but not enough to complain. The experience was positive. Afterwards put my leg up, placed ice on it and that’s where I am now. It’s time for pain medication because it is up there and she convinced me as well as you half to stay ahead of it not behind it is the doctor wants me to do

Thank you everyone and have a wonderful day!
Mamie
 
Good report, Mamie. That's the way to do things in these early weeks.
 
Hey, There Pumpkin! I love these icons that I have just discovered here!:loll::rotfl:
My new philosophy if I can get away with it...:kickedout:
If I Don't like it...LEAVE!

Has anyone ever been told about this manipulation they threaten me with from fast attaching scar tissue? I told them I am ready to accept whatever lack of motion before ever allowing someone to take out their frustrations on my knee. I do develop scar tissue quickly and it scares me moving so slowly but here how I see it:

1) I know the orthopedist who developed the Joint Camp in Lakewood, Washington that spread across the US. It was offered at St. Anthony's but all I got was the t-shirt saying we belonged...NO CLASS! My husband did not get one. The original program included the class WITH everyone who was currently in post-op recovery, a t-shirt for a caregiver, and patient, hair wash before discharge, and complete written instructions for home care. WE WERE NOT INCLUDED in the program.
2) TED Hose was to be put on before leaving the surgery room-THEY FORGET MINE
3) Elevation of leg-NOT DONE at the hospital but told no.
4) AFTER DISCHARGE-When PT first came, it was 4 days later. THEY FORGOT TO ORDER PT.
5) PT asked ME where my TED Hose was when seeing my swollen leg. That was on a Wednesday...we called immediately and told that they forgot them and would not mail them and to pick them up the following week-6 more days later for a total of 9 days post-op. PT measured my leg and the surgeon was not interested. TEN DAYS later at a post-op appt. (yesterday) I was thrown two pairs and told to figure out which one fits...then surgeon said-"You missed the first almost two weeks that were critical to the fluid collection so use one of them unless too difficult but it is no longer important as its been too long.


The way I see it, that gives this surgeon 5 ways he screwed up and hurt my chances of a better recovery. I also think, "How Dare Him tell me He EXPECTS 90 degrees in 2 weeks!" He was so angry about not seeing it at my post-op he removed my leg from the wheelchair foot support and let it drop...no brace or support! He hurt me and left the room. He was supposed to be first-rate and a god-fearing surgeon with a compassionate heart:xmark:.WHERE?

See you later or tomorrow after I reply to the other appreciated comments. Best of everything for everyone.

Mamie



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